"A Gathering of Individuals": A Longitudinal Study of a Writing Workshop for Older Adults.

Autor/in	Kazemek, Francis E.
Titel	"A Gathering of Individuals": A Longitudinal Study of a Writing Workshop for Older Adults.
Quelle	(1997), (34 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Adult Education; Adult Literacy; Educational Research; Literacy Education; Longitudinal Studies; Older Adults; Outcomes of Education; Program Effectiveness; Writing Improvement; Writing Instruction; Writing Skills; Writing Workshops + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Adult; Adults; Education; Adult basic education; Adult training; Erwachsenenbildung; Bildungsforschung; Pädagogische Forschung; Longitudinal study; Longitudinal method; Longitudinal methods; Längsschnittuntersuchung; Älterer Erwachsener; Lernleistung; Schulerfolg; Schreibunterricht; Writing skill; Schreibfertigkeit
Abstract	A longitudinal study focused on a weekly writing workshop for a group of active older adults ranging in age from 67-91. The core group consisted of 14 elders. The research that explored elders' literacy confirmed the importance of its social nature and its grounding in specific cultural and historical contexts; varying perceptions and uses of literacy; and various reasons for writing. The workshop followed a flexible, yet regular pattern: talking and telling stories about their lives, past and present, and current events and then reading what individuals had written during the week. Through more talk, the workshop explored the new topic--one of those discussed or one suggested by the workshop leader. Information for the study was gathered through observations, field notes, informal and more formal interviews, copies of elders' writing, and participants' 1-week literacy audits. A complex and impressive range of reading demonstrated the individual and social complexity of reading. Writing for the workshop included a variety of discourse forms. Outside of these pieces, the most common forms of writing were personal letters and greeting cards. The workshop served as a catalyst for extended writing, contributed to the reading of a range of different texts, and became a source of connections, friendships, and community. The workshop allowed elders to explore their lives and gave them a purpose. (Contains 34 references.) (YLB)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC